Dump-door-operating mechanism.



F. SBABERG. DUMP DOOR OPERATING MEUHANISM.

Patented ont. 19,1909. g 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FREDERICK SEABERG,

or crrcaediLmNois, AssIeNoR To NATIONAL DUMP CAR COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

` UMP-DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISIVL Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 19, 1909.

Application filed February 6, 1909. Serial No., 476,523.

To all lwhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK SEABERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the Vcounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dump-Door-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means for operating the doors of dump cars, and more especially improved means for transmitting power from the hand lever, or other means, at the end of the car, to the operating mechanism located beneath the floor level. Y 1

The precise nature of vmy invention and the adaptation of the car structure to cooperate therewith will more clearly appear from the following description and claims, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- -Figure 1 is a partial end view of a car equipped with my invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of a part of the end of the car, and Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with a car in which the floor doors are operated by a reciprocating shaft resting upon inclined door rails supported beneath the floor level, the shaft being reciprocated by means of links connected to crank arms upon an operating shaft located adjacent the center of the car. It will be apparent, however, that certain features of my invention may be employed in connection with other specific forms of door operating mechanism.

The car illustrated comprises a center sill formed of deep channels 1 connected at the top by a cover plate 2, the sides of the car being supported by transverse members, not shown, of a form common in cars of this type. The end sill comprises an outer channel 3 extending transversely of the car in a straight line and an angle 4 abutting against and secured to the channel 3 at its end portions, but spaced therefrom at its central portion, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. VLying above the members 3 and 4 is a cover plate 5 provided with an aperture 6. In line with and preferably just above the aperture 6 there is mounted a short shaft or pivot 7. In the present instance the pivot 7 is shown as being lixedly secured to a strap 8 riveted to the cover plate 5 and also supported in an aperture in the upper end of a hanger 9'" which is riveted to the central part of t-he angle 4 and also to a plate 10 carried at the lower edge of the end wall 11. Rotatably mounted upon the shaft 7 is a pinion 12,6. which meshes with a gear 13 secured to oper-r ating shaft 14, the latter in turn being supported in a bearing in the lower end of the hanger 9. The pinion 12 and gear 13 mesh through the opening 6 in the cover plate 5,65 and although the parts are preferably lo! cated about as shown, the point of engagement between the pinion 12 and gear 13 might be raised or lowered without departing from my invention. Pivotally mounted-7| upon the pivot or shaft 7 is an operating lever 14 provided with a reversible pawl 15 `adapted to engage with the pinion 12, to

rotate the same in either direction, and when not in use the operating lever may be low-75 ered against the end sill to the horizontal position illustrated in dot-ted lines in Fig. 1 with the pawl 15 moved out of engagement with the pinion 12. Operatively related to the pinion 12 is a detent 16, which in thegg present instance is shown as being hinged to arbearingplate 17 riveted to the cover plate of the end sill. e

In connection with the operating shaft 14, to which the gear 13 is illustrated as being f 85 secured by means of a pin 18, I have shown a form of operating mechanism in use in connection with the type of cars illustrated. This operating mechanism comprises crank arms 19 secured t0 the shaft 14 and pivoted 90 to outwardly extending links 20 which at their outer ends carry reciprocating shafts 21. Reciprocating shafts 21 are supported upon inclined rails 22 which depend from and are secured to the transverse structural members of the car. The dump doors, which are hinged adjacent the central part of the car rest upon the reciprocating shafts 21, and it is apparent that upon the withdrawal of the reciprocating shafts 21 to the inner 100 and lower ends-of the inclined rails 22, the doors will be allowed to drop to open position, and that upon reverse movement of the reciprocating shafts 21, the doors will be raised, as shown inl Patent No. 823,631, granted to Spencer Otis June 19, 1906. In their closed position, the reciprocating shafts 21 rest upon the horizontal outer portions of the rails A22, thereby avoiding any tendency on the part of the doors and the load resting thereon to force the shafts 21 in wardly and down the inclined rails 22.

In Fig. l of the drawings, the parts are illustrated in the position assumed when the doors are closed. To open the doors the pawl l5 is turned to the position opposite to that illustrated and the operating handle 14 actuated to rotate the pinion 12 in clockwise direction, thereby transmitting movement to the gear 13, thus drawing the links 20 inwardly and causing the reciprocating shaft 2l to move down the inclined rails 22 to permit the doors to drop. The doors are closed by reversing the pawl 15 and actuating the parts in the opposite direction.

By the improved mechanism described and illustrated herein, I have provided means for the most part protected beneath the cover plate of the end sill for operating the dump doors, and have dispensed with the use of chains and other complicated mechanism for effecting the desired purpose. The location of the operating parts is such as to obviate the liability of injury to the operator.

While I have illustrated a specific embodiment of my invention, I desire to have it understood that considerable variation may be made from the precise form illustrated and described without departing from the spirit of my original invention.

I claim:

1. In a car of the class described, hinged doors, an operating shaft, a gear mounted thereon, connections between said operating shaft and doors, a pinion meshing with said gear, a lever, a pawl mounted thereon in operative relation with said pinion, and a detent operatively related to said pinion.

2. In a car of the class described, hinged dump doors, an end sill comprising a cover plate, said cover plate being provided with an aperture, a pivot mounted above said aperture, a pinion and lever mounted on said pivot, a pawl mounted on said lever, a detent operatively related to said pinion, an operating shaft mounted beneath the car floor, a gear on said shaft meshing with said pinion, and operating connections between said shaft and doors.

3. In a car of the class described, hinged dump doors, an end sill comprising a cover plate, said cover plate being provided with an aperture, a pivot mounted above said aperture, a pinion and lever mounted on said pivot, a pawl mounted on said lever, a detent operatively related to said pinion, an operating shaft mounted beneath the car Hoor, a gear on said shaft meshing with said pinion, inclined door rails, a reciprocating shaft supported thereby, cranks upon said shaft, and links connecting said cranks and reciprocating shaft.

4. In a car of the class described, hinged dump doors, an end sill comprising an oute1` member extending transversely of the car, an inner member abutting against and secured to said outer member adjacent its ends and spaced therefrom at its central portion, a cover plate overlying and secured to said outer and inner members, said cover plate having an aperture over the space between said outer and inner members, a hanger depending from said end sill, an operating shaft journaled in said hanger, a pinion mounted above said gear and meshing therewith through said aperture, a pawl and lever, and connections between said operating shaft and doors.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

FREDERICK SEA'BERG.

Witnesses WALTER A. SCOTT, HENRY A. PARKS. 

